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Saluting My Hero, My Dad

One of my Dad’s Favorite treats is creamer with a little bit of coffeecoffee and creamer. His favorite flavor is French Vanilla. I was going to spend the day with him and look at some old photographs. Since my Mom passed away we’ve been going through boxes of photos. I swung by Walmart on the way to his house to grab creamer and found Coffee-Mate had these very cool bottles. Coffee-mate has decorated their French Vanilla & Hazelnut liquid creamer bottles and their Original powder creamer in patriotic stars and stripes.

I found it in the dairy cooler with all the other creamers. They even had a special case across the aisle with the extra large sizes.

Operation Homefront is an organization that helps provide assistance to wounded military members and their families. I think it’s an amazing organization. I also thought this was very appropriate as my Dad and I were going through his pictures from when he was a marine.

My Dad joined the marines when he was only 17. He thought it was so important to serve his country. He fought in Vietnam and even received a purple heart for his service. I’m so proud of him and I love telling people that my dad was a Marine, Force Recon. I admire the fact that at such a young age he wanted to serve his country and put his country before himself.

We spent several hours drinking coffee and looking through pictures. I loved hearing my dad tell me stories about his time over in Vietnam. He hardly ever talks about it so I hung on to every word. I loved spending time with my dad.

donnahup.com receives free products for review purposes, and may sometimes be compensated for posts. All opinions expressed are solely from donnahup.com. See donnahup.com’s Disclosure Policy for complete details. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by any form of compensation. This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

I love this time of the football season! Not only do I enjoy watching the games, but I love football parties! Walmart and DiGiorno make it really easy for me to host the best game time party!

Do you know what a bowl of chips biggest fear is? Pizza!

The bowl of chips gets sidelined every time (pun intended).

Prep for the game time party was so easy! I just headed over to my local Walmart where there was a huge selection of DiGiorno pizza to choose from. Whether you’re looking for cheese, supreme or anything in between DiGiorno has you covered. They even have different crusts to choose from and more!

Check out Walmart’s amazing rollback price! $4.50 for a pizza! We went with the rising crust and it was so delicious. We are huge fans of their bold new sauce. The big hit was the three meat rising crust.

It was so easy to prepare. All you have to do is preheat the oven, bake for approximately 24 minutes, and enjoy! It came out perfectly cooked and delicious!

Whether their team was winning or losing all my friends enjoyed their pizza. Even little Megan loved it. Serving pizza requires minimal prep and your guests can run into the kitchen to get another piece during the commercials. You don’t even need to be sitting at the table and you can totally cheer and hold your pizza at the same time!

Pizza is perfect for any generation. Whether you’re 6 or 60, pizza is delicious. Everyone was thrilled with what we served and very impressed at the taste and quality.

It’s also fun to just hang out with friends and enjoy pizza after the game. We had such a great day! So whether you’re planning a party at your home or you are bringing food to someone else’s party, DiGiorno pizza is the perfect choice!

According to science and medicine it is a cancer that forms in the cells of the breast, most commonly in the milk ducts. When cells divide uncontrollably, a mass of tissue, called a tumor, forms. A malignant tumor can damage surrounding tissue and is life-threatening.

I would define it more as a silent killer. It creeps in when you least expect it and destroys not only the person whose body it takes over, but their family and friends also. It’s cruel and kills slowly and painfully.

I was really fortunate to have such an amazing mom! She was my best friend. I could talk to her about anything and everything. In the spring of 2007 my Mom went to get her annual mammogram. They found a suspicious lump that turned out to be breast cancer. The cancer was also in her lymph nodes. My mom did the chemo and radiation, lost her hair, and got very sick. She fought hard for 4 years. The last two years the cancer spread into her bones and finally into her liver. My mom lost her battle with cancer on Aug 16, 2011. It’s hard to believe it will be 2 years that she’s been gone in August.

Breast cancer has also attacked two of my friends. These ladies are my age, in their 30’s. I will be honest with you. After my Mom passed away (and watching my friends go through this) I decided I was done with this stuff. I wasn’t getting any more pap smears and I certainly didn’t want a mammogram. Now, before you go yelling at me and telling me how important it is, hear me out and read to the end. I felt like not knowing was much better because I watched chemo make my mom and my grandma so sick. I figured if I didn’t know I wouldn’t have to go through it.

I was wrong.

I am very thankful for amazing friends and a supportive husband that helped me come to that conclusion. Just so you know, I just had my annual pap and I don’t have to have a mammogram yet, but I will when my doctor tells me I need to. I realize that knowing is better and the sooner you know the more options you have. I was reading on LifeScript (Lifescript.com provides medical information, tips and advice that are all written by professional health writers, experts and physicians). I learned that there are alternative therapies for breast cancer. I honestly don’t know what I’d choose and I’m hoping I don’t have to make that decision. I am thankful for the options and information I’ve found. I also found a great article on Risk & Prevention.

Want to find more posts relating to breast cancer? Then be sure you do not miss these articles:

Lifescript’s Breast Cancer Health Center features tips, quizzes, recipes and articles – all by professional health writers, experts and physicians – covering new breast cancer breakthroughs, best antioxidant foods, interviews with famous women who have struggled with breast cancer and more. Please visit the Lifescript Health Center on Breast Cancer for more information.

May is National Celiac Awareness Month

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder triggered by the consumption of gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Three million Americans have celiac disease, yet 95% of those who have it are undiagnosed.

What is the difference between celiac disease and gluten intolerance?

The difference is that between two immune related reactions, allergy and intolerance. The medical and scientific community has long agreed that celiac disease is an autoimmune condition triggered by the consumption of gluten. In recent years, the term “gluten sensitivity” has been coined to describe those individuals who also cannot tolerate gluten and at times experience gastrointestinal symptoms similar to those with celiac disease.

I don’t know if there’s a bigger Thomas the Train Fan than my munchkin, Bradley. My sister and I didn’t tell him or his sister where we were taking them, just that it would be a really big surprise!

The Day out with Thomas was at the Train museum down in Miami and we were able to ride the little train from the parking lot up to the museum.

Brad was super excited (so was Kelsey)!

They had more than just Thomas. There were games, activity centers, food, shows, and bounce houses.

They had so much fun, but the highlight had to be riding Thomas the Train! Yes, we were actually able to take a ride. The kids chose the upper deck to sit on and loved looking out the window at what was passing by. All the workers were great! They took the time to answer any questions that the kids had and were very friendly. Brad and Kels even got their Jr Engineer Certificate from Thomas!

We had a fabulous day! We can’t wait to see Thomas next year!

Donna’s Deals And More receives free products for review purposes, and may sometimes be compensated for posts. All opinions expressed are solely from Donna’s Deals And More. See Donna’s Deals And More’s Disclosure Policy for complete details. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by any form of compensation.

Now a days everyone is talking about “going green” and I while I do think it’s a fabulous idea, what all is involved? Not using disposable plates, silverware, etc is one way. You are not wasting resources. If you have to use disposable, make sure it can be recycled. I use reusable containers in my lunch box for work so that I do not have to use plastic bags. I also use grocery totes so I don’t need to use plastic bags. Thankfully my grocery store does have a recycle bin for old plastic bags.

What about diapers? You can use cloth diapers rather than store bought. Then you have to think about washing them. What about your detergent? Some companies are trying to make “greener” and more natural detergents and bottles. Speaking of detergents and soaps, what about things like dishwasher fluid, or cleaners or even all natural carpet cleaning.

I am all for natural and going green, I just can’t get overwhelmed with all of the different options. I need to start in one area at a time and go from there. Every little bit helps and if we all started in a minimum of one area of our life it could make a huge difference.

What are some of your favorite “green” tips? Let me know in the comment section. I’d love to share ideas.

DonnasDealsAndMore receives free products for review purposes, and may sometimes be compensated for posts. All opinions expressed are solely from DonnasDealsAndMore. See DonnasDealsAndMore’s Disclosure Policy for complete details. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by any form of compensation.

If you are registered for the IBM BPM Blueprint WebShere Lombardi Edition V7.1 exam, then chances are that it is your first experience with an IBM certification exam. This short article will help you gain a better understanding of this exam and what to expect as you prepare. The 000-169 exam is a requirement for earning the IBM’s entry level Certified Associate BPM Administrator-BPM Blueprint; WebShere Lombardi Edition V7.1 certification.

The 000-169 exam has a time limit of two-hours and contains 73 questions that will focus on general admission and process modeling and include items divided among three case studies. The first case study involves the principles of installing and configuring WebSphere Lombardi Edition V7.1. Case study two contains items related to logs within WebSphere Lombardi Edition V7.1. The third case study contains questions about troubleshooting tactics in the process monitor and describing the functions of administrator console tools.

Before taking this exam, you should take the proper steps to ensure that you’ll be ready to show off your skills and knowledge on test day. Although it is not required, it would be highly beneficial to enroll in the 5-day, IBM WebShere Lombardi Edition V7.1 Process Modeling, Operations, Administration course. There is also an online version of this course. Once you have a grasp on the subject matter, you should practice for the exam. Testslive.com produces top-quality 000-169 exam tutorials that will not only reinforce the subject content, but will also allow you to gauge your progress on difficult concepts that require repetitious practice.

Now, I know that some of you have strong opinions (for and against) – I am thrilled with the results!!

I have done round 2 and 3 and had no issues and have lost 21 pounds! Yes, it’s a strict diet and it requires self control, but it is totally worth it! Not only have I lost weight, but I am learning to eat healthier. I have cut out sugar and feel better too!

I am getting ready to start another round and I’m excited! I’ll let you know how it goes!

DonnasDealsAndMore receives free products for review purposes, and may sometimes be compensated for posts. All opinions expressed are solely from DonnasDealsAndMore. See DonnasDealsAndMore’s Disclosure Policy for complete details. My opinions are my own and were not influenced by any form of compensation.

A lot of you have asked me questions here, through email and through my fan page. I decided I should write some tips to answer the most common questions.

1. You can’t win if you do not enter. Seems basic enough, but it’s so true. I have won some pretty cool things, but I enter giveaways daily. Odds are the more that you enter, the more you will win.

2. All winners are chosen randomly. I do not “pick” my winners. I use a random generator. If you want to read about them you check that out HERE

3. Read disclosures. These can be found at the bottom of the giveaway and/or the rafflecopter. They tell you who the contest is open to, if there are any restrictions, and how long you have to respond if you win.

4. Check your spam folder! I can not emphasize this enough! If the word Giveaway, Contest, or Winner is in the subject, it is often placed into the spam folder.

5. Use of personal info (email, phone #) – I highly suggest getting a separate email for entering giveaways. This does NOT mean using two emails to get double the offers. That is cheating. I mean using a separate email just for the giveaways and keeping your personal email separate. I also use a special phone number for giveaways and freebies. You can get a free number from Google Voice HERE. Even if they leave a voicemail it will send that to your email. If you have a smart phone you can download the app for it and receive and make calls from your google voice number.

6. Do NOT cheat!! I think it’s ridiculous I even have to talk about it, but it happens all the time. We check and verify all the entries. If you did not do something, do not say you did. It’s that simple.

Meet one of the cutest girls, Brooklynn, and her parents. I used to work with her Mom when I was in college. Brooklynn was born with SMA. I have to be honest, before she was born, I had no idea what it was.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a motor neuron disease. The motor neurons affect the voluntary muscles that are used for activities such as crawling, walking, head and neck control, and swallowing. It is a relatively common “rare disorder” : approximately 1 in 6000 babies born are affected, and about 1 in 40 people are genetic carriers.

SMA affects muscles throughout the body, although the proximal muscles (those closest to the trunk of one’s body – i.e. shoulders, hips, and back) are often most severely affected. Weakness in the legs is generally greater than in the arms. Sometimes feeding and swallowing can be affected. Involvement of respiratory muscles (muscles involved in breathing and coughing) can lead to an increased tendency for pneumonia and other lung problems. Sensation and the ability to feel are not affected. Intellectual activity is normal and it is often observed that patients with SMA are unusually bright and sociable. Patients are generally grouped into on of four categories, based on certain key motor function milestones.

The Greater Florida Chapter of Families of SMA is proud and honored to announce their Second Annual “SMA Day with the Rays” Fundraiser & Awareness Event.

Join us as the Tampa Bay Rays take on their AL rivals, the Texas Rangers! The event is Sunday, September 9, 2012, at 1:40 p.m. at Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL.

$12 per ticket (plus online convenience fee) Buy your ticket now at www.raysbaseball.com/FSMA.
Please be sure to follow all directions on the website when booking your tickets for our tbt*/party deck section at Tropicana Field.
*You will need to put in the password FSMA for us to get our portion of the proceeds, so please don’t forget!
Also, the first 10,000 kids 14 and under receive an Evan Longoria Mini Drum Set! See you at Tropicana Field!
Questions? Please contact Katie Kerns, President,
FSMA Greater Florida at 727-388-1888.

*Proceeds from each ticket sale will be donated to Families of SMA to help find a cure. We would love to see everyone attend this event and show your support for Brooklynn and all her other SMA friends. If you need wheelchair spaces to call Chad direct on 727-825-3393.

Let’s face it, the majority of us are short on time. There are days when I’ve worked all day, cleaned, played with the munchkins, etc that the last thing I want to do is cook. It’s so much easier to go somewhere, order in, or pop it in the microwave. The problem is that I’m trading convenience for bad health habits. Being on my diet has reminded me of the importance of home cooked meals. Not only do they taste better but they are so much better for you! Cooking meals is also great if you have food allergies (like we do here) because you can control what goes into the food. Have you ever really read the back of a microwaveable meal? Or thought about what was in fast food? Food processing is any deliberate change in a food that occurs before it’s available for us to eat. It can be as simple as freezing or drying food to preserve nutrients and freshness, or as complex as formulating a frozen meal with the right balance of nutrients and ingredients. I have come to really appreciate farmers markets and butchers. I love knowing what I am putting into my food. I think that the fresh veggies taste better too! I don’t know about you, but I’m returning my “convenience” and taking back my health!

A recent survey showed that even though times are tough, nearly 9 out of 10 people would rather experience an act of kindness than win $15 on the lottery. The survey also revealed that 84% of people feel guilty about not being in touch as much as they’d like with the people they most care about.

As a result of the survey, Mrs Crimble’s has launched the ‘Share the Love’ campaign to spread some kindness nationwide. Anyone can nominate a deserving friend or relative by visiting www.letsbakelove.com. Mrs Crimble’s are planning to send out 1,000 free packs of goodies every month including lots of Britain’s favourite macaroons, Bakewell slices and Double Choc Brownies.
Another way to be kind is to treat someone to a pack of Mrs Crimble’s pink Cranberry Macaroons – not only will they be much appreciated but Mrs Crimble’s donates 10p to Breast Cancer Campaign from every sale.

I have been thinking about, dreaming about and talking about losing weight, but I haven’t lost any! In fact I’ve gained. I was a size two 6 years ago and well, I’m not now. In fact my jeans are 10’s and should probably be 12’s but I don’t want to admit that.

It’s embarrassing posting my picture like this, in fact I try to avoid posting full body shots because I can’t stand my weight. I am doing this though because I want you to see the difference and where I am coming from. I am a real person, I’m 35 and I want to get control of my weight. I have tried lots of fad diets, etc and I tend to yo-yo with my weight. One of my friends has done the HCG Diet and lost 40 pounds! I have read other success stories as well and decided to try it myself!

I was so excited to get my package from Miracle Skinny Drops!
How does HCG work? HCG helps you to lose stubborn pounds. Because the HCG hormone makes the abnormal fat available, the body begins living off the fat – the fat provides a source of energy, just as food does. In addition to weight loss, many patients who have completed the HCG program also experienced many other health benefits, including a drop in cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar. This is an extremely basic explanation and I highly encourage you to check out Pounds and Inches.

I just started my journey yesterday and I’m now on day 2 of loading. Right now I feel like a pig. Basically, I’m loading up on calories so I will not be hungry on the start of Phase 2 (500 calorie days).

As far as the HCG drops, they’re easy and hardly have any taste. I just take them 3 times a day under my tongue.

I have not posted my weight and/or measurements because I am so embarrassed, but as I lose I know I’ll be able to share them with you. I will keep you posted on my journey and would love for you to join with me! To get started head HERE

No matter what diet I try, or how much I exercise, this is the way I feel when I step on to the scale. It can be depressing. My mother used to warn me that I would lose my metabolism in my 30’s and I just brushed it off. 6 years ago I was a size 2 and now at 35 I’m not anymore. I am wearing 10’s. I have tried a bunch of things and I am eating better but it is all very discouraging.

One of my girl friends has been using hCG 1234™ and has lost 40 pounds! I have been dying to try it myself. Normally I would be skeptical but I have seen it work. hCG 1234™ is a dynamic diet supplement designed for rapid weight loss. It contains select aminos and herbal extracts such as Maca, Pygeum, Rhodiola, and Astragalus, which are clinically supported to promote fat metabolism and provide essential nutrition. Based on Dr. Albert Simeons’ revolutionary research, the goal of hCG 1234™ dieting is to burn fat quickly, then maintain ideal body weight.

I am personally going to try the hCG 1234™ for 90 days. I’ll be sharing with you my progress throughout the 3 months also.

If you would like to join with me and try hCG 1234™ for yourself head on over to the Creative Bioscience store HERE